Clarissa [Sometimes] Explains It All

A day in the life of the queen of Queens.

Clarissa [Sometimes] Explains It All

QC Strings Ensemble: My First Experience

December 17th, 2010 · No Comments · Personal, School

As an incoming freshman, I did not know what to expect from a college ensemble. It all started with attending a Concert Band rehearsal, for as I was unpacking my violin, I was slowly realizing I was assigned the wrong class. That made the first few days of college a rough start, but thankfully, that problem was resolved. As a new member of the strings ensemble, the level of skill my peers had intimidated me. I had to rework on the basics during my violin lessons, so the two factors discouraged me. However, as the semester passed, I became more familiar with how rehearsals went, playing with a group of such skilled musicians. Playing with the strings ensemble proved to be one of the highlights of my first semester, for it not only was a pleasure to be a part of, but it served as a learning experience as well. I was able to appreciate the various selections of music for different parts. I also developed an increase in awareness for the violas and their importance in an orchestra. This class taught me that every player has a key role in an ensemble, whether a solo, soli, or accompanying part is present. Additionally, I realized how valuable it is to breathe and cue before playing, especially without the direction of a conductor. Because of QC Strings, I increased my practice time and cultivated a pride for the parts I played. More importantly, I started having more confidence in my playing. The Strings Ensemble has led to the start of many friendships, as well as the beginning of a great time at college. I am grateful for the guidance of Ms. Lee and my other peers, for we had a wonderful concert. In this length of time, I have witnessed the most growth in myself as an instrumentalist, and look forward to the continuing maturity that will take place in the semesters to come.

 

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A Silent Night…Literally!

December 15th, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

What do Pete Doherty, the Kooks, Billy Bragg, Imogen Heap, and Orbital have in common? Well…they’re all in the music industry. However, this year, their defining unifying factor is the collaboration of support for Cage Against the Machine. Cage Against the Machine is the campaign to put the silent piece 4’33” by John Cage (our favorite) at the top of the Christmas charts against the latest single from the talent show franchise, X Factor. It is an interesting choice in regards to music history, for the famous piece by Cage is one of the few avant-garde works to cross into the mainstream air. Additionally, all proceeds will be donated to charities, such as the British Tinnitus Association, when the single is available to purchase.

4’33” first debuted at the Maverick Concert Hall at Bard College in August 1952 by pianist David Tudor. It later was performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican in London in 2004, receiving a spectrum of reviews. Below is footage from the premiere.

Composer, blogger and former Village Voice music reviewer Kyle Gann was so moved by this piece, he wrote No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage’s 4’33” for its justification of being considered as art. Gann’s argument accepts Cage’s sentiments that by reducing the performer to silence, the hierarchy between music and noise was destroyed, and that the ambient sounds of the world were freed. There is a heightened sense soundscape of quietness that one usually ignores: shuffling of shoes, breathing among the audience, or the sonic landscape of the city.

Maybe one day I can use 4’33” to audition for American Idol!

John Cage’s other work As Slow as Possible is mentioned here .

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Official Page of Cage Against the Machine

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When Art and Death Embrace

December 15th, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

Death is not an easy topic to cover, but Jay Rosenblatt does so anyway. A master of found footage form, this San Francisco based artist “splices” neglected or discarded educational or industrial films, commercials, news clips, and home movies into a seamless moving collage, with subtly layered soundtracks that range from poetry readings, journal entries and personal memoirs, to music by Benjamin Britten, Arvo Pärt, and other composers. In his hour long exhibition, The Darkness of Day, Rosenblatt’s recent films are premiered in New York. The main film is The Darkness of Day (2009) which is a “stoic yet tender meditation on suicide,” influenced by the death of a friend. Other films share the theme of a grim reality such as the award-winning Phantom Limb (2005), which touches upon loss and grief in a chilling manner, and is influenced by the early death of Rosenblatt’s brother. Afraid So (2006) is loosely based on a poem by Jeanne Marie Beaumont, featuring a series of closed yet paradoxically open questions that share the same answer (hence the title), while I Just Wanted To Be Somebody (2006) is a sardonic depiction of singer and anti-gay rights crusader Anita Bryant and Prayer (2001) focuses on the anxiety and blind faith present in a post-911 America.
Rosenblatt manages to bring out the significance from the mundane in his artwork. His skill is so immense, that I have goosebumps from encountering a snippet of Phantom Limb. In this excerpt, advice is given for grieving parents in the gentle voice of a woman while the eerie violin piece of Arvo Pärt’s Silentium gives the sense of a rocking embrace. The visual aspect shows a man shearing a sheep, who at first struggles to be freed, but later succumbs as more wool is removed. With this scene, Rosenblatt provides the analogy that the death of a child leaves a parent as vulnerable as a sheep that is losing one’s identity with the removal of wool. Both are left exposed and emotionally wounded, but both the parent and the sheep have to accept life’s events despite the hurt it causes. It is a message that tugs on the heart strings of the viewer, accompanied with a haunting sequence, for the truth lies within the sounds and moving images.

Darkness of Day is showing at the Museum of Modern Art from October 13 to October 18.

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To Think of Time

December 15th, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

In regards to parent and child, many agree that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Some commonly known examples are actresses Blythe Danner and daughter Gwenyth Paltrow, as well as musician John Lennon and his son, Sean. In the realm of visual art, the VanDerBeek’s are no exception. Sarah VanDerBeek is the daughter of experimental filmmaker, Stan VanDerBeek, who was part of the New York art movement in the 1960s. Unfortunately, Stan passed away when Sarah was seven years old, which appears to be a key influence in the rest of Sarah’s lifestory.

Today, Sarah is quite experienced with all aspects of the art scene, but her biggest chapter yet is her first solo museum exhibition, “To Think of Time.” Loosely inspired by Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, each of the thirty photographs displayed seem to reflect on America “during a time of social transformation.” The pieces cary from shots of three-dimensional still life “assemblages” built in Sarah’s studio, to details of architecture from her trip to New Orleans, and other miscellaneous works discovered in her childhood home in Baltimore years after. The project also parallels the life of the poet, who constantly “reshaped and expanded on his opus throughout his life,” for Sarah continues to try to perfect each aspect of the exhibition from its start to finish, in hopes of its growth and evolution.

Perhaps her artistic aims echoes the sentiment of her actual life. Considering her father’s death, Ms. VanDerBeek’s photos seem to be muted, contemplating on the various aspects of life. Parents are a defining factor of a child’s development, but with her father’s absence, Sarah seems to achieve her maturity by digging through her past, and her father’s past as well. Although Sarah is now an adult, her work seems to transcend time with a sense of yearning, paralleling to her life. Despite the abstract nature of the photographs, one thing is clear,- Sarah VanDerBeek is closer on her path to self-discovery and is the apple that is close to the tree trunk. “To Think of Time” is presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art from September 17 to December 5.

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Within the Crab’s Shell

December 15th, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

It’s safe to say that Henry Darger was a hermit. He was a notoriously reclusive artist who is famous for a 15,145 paged (single-spaced, mind you) manuscript titled The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, which was discovered after his death. On top of that, he created several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings to accompany the story. Darger’s ability to sustain creativity with his isolated lifestyle is quite perplexing. Often times, environment has a great influence on inspiration and art. However, Darger channeled a changing environment with the walls of his room, which is displayed in the exhibition, “The Private Collection of Henry Darger.”Hundreds of artwork was applied to his one room bedroom apartment by a string, tack, or glue. He hung self-made collages that focused mainly on young girls and his Catholic faith.

One has a deeper perspective of Darger’s mysterious life through his “art collection.” The colleges are cut or ripped with purpose, each with a specific story, contrasting with the epic nature of the watercolor pieces. He must have stored hundreds of tales in his mind. It brings up this question,- if a recluse can have creativity despite a limited environment, do our surroundings really effect us? In turn, what is the determining factor for the differences in identical twins if not the environment? “The Private Collection of Henry Darger” is available at the American Folk Art Museum until October 24.

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Snapshot 2010

December 13th, 2010 · No Comments · Personal, School, Vlogs

 

Although it was raining frogs yesterday, I braved the weather to attend Snapshot 2010, the last official event of Seminar 1. All of our photos were curated in the Macaulay Cabaret under the theme, “Crossroads,” for many similarities were present. I commend the volunteer curators for assembling a beautiful display; the model buildings that also held some photographs was a nice touch for the New York theme. However, the real fun proved to be “re-curating” the exhibit. With our Vado video cameras, my group shot footage of the exhibit to show how we would organize it via video. The result is “Day and Night,” which uses the photographs to show a day in the life of a New Yorker, from dawn to dusk. We felt that all of the student’s submissions provided a chronological sequence in addition to displaying the similarities in content. However, I did not find their way of sorting the photographs to be impressive. Grouping similarly themed pictures together helps show the differences in approaching the theme, but that method seemed too conventional and easy to put together. Anyone can dedicate a section to portraits. I’ll be looking forward to seeing contrasts next year.

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Octagaga

December 9th, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

When one thinks of Times Square, the concept of tourist attractions come to mind. One of the veteran places in this area that entices millions of visitors is the Wax Museum of Madame Tussauds, which features the wax figures of celebrities of the past and present. However, aside from the humorous poses with these statues, do you contemplate the process of making these works of art? Recently, Madame Tussauds undertook the task of creating eight was figures of the pop star sensation Lady Gaga for the wax museums created around the world. The process is a very long one, for the statues are created from scratch. Artists build up from a metal frame with clay to create a plaster mold in order to pour in wax. The hair of the celebrities are individually inserted as wigs, extensions, or both. Even the clothes are painstakingly made from various materials, and the shoes are cobbled.

The process of creating these wax figures reminds of Yigal Ozeri’s works. Artists create an illusion of skin color and makeup with paint using various techniques and building it up, just like how Ozeri creates an illusion of a photo with paint as well. I am also reminded of the moveable type printing press, for two molds of Lady Gaga’s face and body were made to form the eight figures. You can learn more about the process here:

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To Whom It May Concern

December 2nd, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

It all started a year ago, when a mysterious and creepy video featuring slightly disturbing imagery over an experimental electronica soundtrack was uploaded on to the iamamiwhoami channel on Youtube. The videos were continuously uploaded, and the public wondered of the meaning behind the project. Soon after, the people behind the channel sent a package to MTV, and so it became clear that it was a viral campaign for a music project. Many speculated that Christina Aguilera was behind the project, for at the same time, she was working on her new album that would feature a new sound. Others thought that Goldfrapp or Fever Ray were involved, due to their electronica repertoire. However, by analyzing the screenshots of the mysterious person that starred in these videos, the people who have been following the campaign figured out that singer Jonna Lee of Sweden was involved. Even though she was discovered to be behind the act, Jonna kept mum, and the music videos continued.

By then, two sets of videos were released; the first set proved to be “teasers” for the next set of videos, which were the singles of the project’s studio album, which spells out I AM BOU(twice)NTY in chronological order. Remixes for these songs are also available on iTunes. The next set of videos by iamamiwhoami called upon the YouTube community to choose a volunteer as a representative, which we find out by the end of that set, is YouTube user ShootUpTheStation. The following set is documented by him, the chosen one. In these videos he is prepared for a certain coming.

That coming was the “live concert” which debuted online on November 16, and was available for streaming for only six hours. The concert was filmed in the middle of nowhere of Sweden, with only the members of the project and ShootUpTheStation. Although the video appears to be taken in one shot, clever cuts are inserted in to give it a constant flow. Throughout, the imagery used in the past videos make a recurring role as the songs are performed live. Unfortunately, in the concert, the volunteer is supposedly burned to death.

Aside from the alarming sexual references displayed in nature, I am absolutely enamored by iamamiwhoami’s music, and congratulate the team behind it for their extreme effort in constructing such an elaborate marketing scheme. Unfortunately, many of the videos are deleted, so it is hard to follow the storyline, but other users on Youtube have posted them up instead. Here is a single from the I AM BOUNTY album.

You can watch the full live concert here.
Some explanations of the videos and whole project by the followers of this project are available at the Wikipedia page.

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Soul Leaves Her Body

November 24th, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

On November 23, I attended Soul Leaves Her Body, an integrated-media performance combining theater, dance, live video, music, and film. Inspired by a 13th century Chinese story about a woman who rips her soul from her body in order to pursue her destiny in the city, the show explored the soul-body relationship in life, love, and family. I really enjoyed watching the performance, for the minimalistic set and technology that was incorporated into the performance. Although the actors were not adorned with elaborate costumes, the footage on the screens showed that they were evoking Chinese people from 13th century China.

The most impressive part was the live recording to show movement, for an actor would walk or run in place, and the live camera would project the scene and gave the illusion that the person moved great lengths, when that did not happen at all. The second act was in film form, depicting a siblings’ struggle to survive in the city after their mother died and did not leave an inheritance. The third act is a dialogue between two women, one fairly young, the other, elderly reminiscing about falling in love with a foreigner, which proved to be a societal conflict. The show is hard to explain, but I enjoyed watching the innovative and abstract performance.

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Glorious Sky: Herbert Katzman’s New York

November 18th, 2010 · No Comments · Arts

As we all know, Seminar 1 explores the Arts in New York City, hence its namesake. However, how often to do we encounter an arts event in Manhattan featuring art on, well, Manhattan? That’s were Herbert Katzman comes in. A Chicago native, Katzman moved to New York City and fell in love with it, even embracing his surroundings as his muse. Known for his abstract expressionism, Katzman’s pieces feature scenes of New York, especially its bridges, skyline, and landmarks. Although the New York art scene moved to a more contemporary wave, Katzman kept true to his style. Why follow trends when one can master an art? The blend of colors and movement clearly show that Katzman perfected his style. Glorious Sky: Herbert Katzman’s New York features more than 80 works, both paintings and works on paper, and is showing at the Museum of the City of New York through February 21.

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